National Poetry Month: 30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets #1

To celebrate National Poetry Month 2012, I have invited poets to guest-post about their writing habits and rituals, whatever works to get them writing.

The result, I hope: 30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets.

Below is the tentative schedule of guests. I'm featuring "famous" poets on Saturdays and a writing prompt every Tuesday. I still have some room in the schedule. Leave me a comment if you'd like to be a guest.

Sun 4/1:  Author Amok on Drinking Tea

Mon 4/2:  Laura PurdieSalas, author of A Leaf Can Be

Tue 4/3:  Allan RoyAndrews, Maryland poet and a Prompt!

Wed 4/4:  Justine Rowden, author of Paint Me a Poem

Thu 4/5:  Liz Moser, Maryland poet

Fri  4/6:  Diane Mayr of Random Noodling

Sat 4/7:  Happy birthday, William Wordsworth

Sun 4/8:  Nicole Schultheis, President, Maryland Writers Assn.

Mon 4/9:  Lisa Vihos of Lisa's Poem of the Week

Tue 4/10:  Surprise guest Melanie Hope Greenberg and a Prompt!

Wed 4/11:  Jacqueline Jules, author of Zapato Power

Thu 4/12: Dennis Kirschbaum, Maryland poet
Fri 4/13:  Robyn Hood Black, author of Sir Mike

Sat 4/14:  Kay Ryan

Sun 4/15:  Leslie Rzeznik of A Boisterous Life 
Mon 4/16:  Michael Tims, Maryland poet

Tue 4/17:  Charles Waters, children's author, and a Prompt!

Wed 4/18:  Betsy Franco, author of 21 Monologues for Teen Actors

Thu 4/19:  Irene Latham, author of Leaving Gee's Bend
Fri 4/20:  Tabatha Yeatts-Lonske of The Opposite of Indifference

Sat 4/21:  William Stafford

Sun 4/22:  Author Amok on Reiki vs. Rekey

Mon 4/23:  Kathy Figueroa, Canadian poet

Tue 4/24:  Barbara Westwood Diehl, Maryland poet and a Prompt!

Wed  4/25:  Antonio Blunda, Italian poet

Thu 4/26:  Author Amok on having fun

Fri 4/27:  Jeannine Atkins, author of Borrowed Names

Sat 4/28:  Nikki Giovanni

Sun 4/29:  Honey Novick, Canadian poet

Mon 4/30:  Amy Ludwig VanDerwater of The Poem Farm

As for me, each morning -- inspired by my poetic hero, Jason Dickson -- I rise, grateful for a  new day of writing, at 4:15 AM. I begin my morning writing ritual with a special green tea shake to charge my creative batteries.

Here is my secret recipe:

Laura's Green Tea Shake
for shaking up your inner muse
 

Before bed

1.  In a small bowl, place four organic pecan halves. Cover the nuts with 1/8 cup of blue agave nectar. Wrap with cheesecloth (plastic wraps are bad for you) and leave overnight.

In the morning

2.  Brew one cup of plain green tea. Let steep six minutes. Remove bag or tea leaves.

3.  Put brewed tea in blender. Add the following:

1 tbsp. lime juice

1/8 tsp. orange zest

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein

dash chili powder

1/8 tsp. anchovy paste

1 tsp. your favorite toothpaste (saves you time later)

4. Remove organic pecans from agave nectar and put aside. They can be candied later.

5. Sweeten shake to taste with pecan-infused agave nectar.

6. Add ice and blend!

7. Pour into a tall glass. Stir with a cinnamon stick. For more sweetness, decorate the top of your shake with (optional) chocolate syrup in a four-leaf clover pattern to symbolize luck with your morning writing session.

8. Drink and enjoy! Yum.

If you think I willingly rise at 4:15 AM, April Fool's. If you think I spend any portion of my writing time slaving in the kitchen with organic ingredients, April Fool's to you to. If you think Jason Dickson is a poet, so does he. But he usually writes goofy senryu about what a good sister I am.

My writing routine is simple. Whenever possible, I set aside two hours per day for writing time. My kids leave for school by 8 AM, so my dedicated time is 8-10 AM. I don't answer the phone. I avoid Facebook. I don't exercise or shower until after I've put in my two hours. When this routine works, it works great. I write a lot of new poems. I have time to revise older work.

My daughter's portrait of me at the laptop.

Many times, life interrupts my 8-10 AM writing habit. I try not to get upset. As soon as I can, I get back on track.

I really do drink tea every morning, but it's good British tea, a habit learned from my English grandparents. Later today, I'll post a poem where that tea makes an appearance.